Kyrie Irving helps Cavs get back on track, drop Detroit 105-89

Does anybody else love this team?

I know, I know.. we've only beaten the Detroit Pistons and we're 1-1 on the season.  But there's something about this team that I'm already quickly falling in love with.  They're actually fun to watch, something that couldn't be said most nights last season when the dark cloud fell over the city.

Kyrie Irving running the point has energized this team and franchise.  You can see it in the way they play.  Irving's pace of play and unique style are bringing a new-found love for basketball in Cleveland.  5 impressive assists and 12 points in the 1st half gave the Cavs an 11 point lead heading into halftime.

Kyrie Irving makes everyone around him better, and I'm happy to admit I was wrong in rating Derrick Williams higher on my highly revered draft board.

Interestingly enough, Irving didn't play much in the 4th quarter as the Cavs turned the game into a 2011 version of NBA Street, with dunks left and right from Samardo, Thompson, Varejao,and even Jamison.  Sessions remained at the point guard spot, securing a huge victory for the Cavs to even up the record at 1-1 heading into Indiana on Friday.

Ramon Sessions is running the second team extremely well, and the bench is a big reason why I have faith in this year's team.  Sessions has shockingly developed into a perimeter threat, and that will work in our favor to keep defenses' honest throughout the season.

The key to the Cavaliers is that they really do play like a team.  One guy isn't dominating the ball, taking all the shots as we've seen in years past.

Omar Casspi brings a tough defensive minded presence on the floor;  Casspi and Alonzo Gee give the Cavs much-needed defense and size at the guard position.  The defense was key in the 1st half, as the Cavs were scrambling to contest shots and hitting the offensive boards.  Come to think of it, the defense throughout the entire game was in large part why we handed Detroit a 16 point defeat.

There's also the re-vamped play and revitalization of Anderson Varejao, who seems to have more energy than I can ever remember.  His contributions go well beyond the stat line, and offensive rebounding and tip-out abililties can't be overstated.

The Cavaliers bench is surprisingly strong this year.  Led by Sessions and Tristan Thompson (who slammed home a ridiculous 2 handed jam in the face of Ben Wallace) the guys off the bench are really providing a spark and uptempo feel to the already fast-feel of the team.  Serves Ben right for not living up to his contract in a Cavaliers uniform.  Even Samardo Samuels played well off the bench in his first action of the season prompting Dan Gilbert to tweet "Samardooooooooooooo!"

The only problem I saw was that Manny Harris was missing from the lineup. 

One day he'll be inducted into the hall of fame, and we'll remember Chris Grant for letting the Michigan legend find greatness somewhere else. 

That being said, Manny recently signed with the Cavaliers D-league affiliate, the Canton Charge.  In other future hall of fame news, Ricky Davis signed with the Maine Red Claws, another NBDL team. 

The Canton Charge will play the Maine Red Claws in a game soon.  Are you putting together what I just said?  Manny Harris will play against Ricky Davis in a game of basketball.  Depending on who you ask, that means that two former Cavalier legends are facing off in a D-league game.  How such greatness can be playing anywhere other than the Association is a mystery to us all.

Forgetting Harris and focusing on the now, the Cavaliers are shaping up surprisingly well with limited talent beyond Irving.  At the very least, we'll be entertaining to watch throughout the season.  Watching Irving's development and chemistry with the other players will be intriguing. 

Look for a tough battle in Indiana on Friday against Danny Granger's undefeated squad. 2 games down, 64 to go.  Can the Cavaliers string together back-to-back wins this early in the season?

Cleveland 86, Orlando 97: (Dwight Howard pulls down 18 rebounds as Magic club Cavaliers)

CLEVELAND -- Hard as he tried, Stan Van Gundy just couldn't bring himself to enjoy Orlando's win.

The hard-to-please Magic coach was in one of those foul moods.

Van Grumpy.

Dwight Howard scored 28 points with 18 rebounds and he and Brandon Bass were way too much for Cleveland's smallish frontline to handle as the Magic rolled to a 97-86 win Monday night over the Cavaliers, whose fourth-quarter comeback irritated Van Gundy.

Standing in the hallway outside Orlando's locker room, Van Gundy was asked what he took from the win. His answers were terse.

"Nothing," he said. "We got a win and that's what we take from it. We got a win, and we're moving on. This one is done."

With the Cavs unable to stop Howard near the basket, the Magic built a 15-point lead in the first quarter and were up by 26 late in the third. However, Cleveland fought back and closed within 92-83 before Hedo Turkoglu's 3-pointer with 2:56 left put Orlando back in control.

The Magic won their third straight and pulled within 3½ games of Miami for the No. 3 playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

That was of little value to Van Gundy, who was upset with his team's 20 turnovers and inability to put Cleveland away.

"You only play 82 games a year," Van Gundy said. "It shouldn't be hard to go out and play hard and well all the time. We've seen ebbs and flows, but I don't have an excuse for it. We turned the ball over too much and we didn't play with a lot of energy."

The Magic swept all four games against the Cavaliers, winning the season series for the first time since 2002-03. The teams met each other in the playoffs in 2009, a tight series Orlando won in six games. Their feud figured to continue, but it dissolved the moment LeBron James left Cleveland.

Fierce rivals just a year ago, Orlando and Cleveland are now on opposite ends of the NBA spectrum.

"It is different now," Howard said. "It's weird."

J.J. Hickson scored 18 and Daniel Gibson 16 for the Cavs, who have dropped three straight and nine of 11.

Bass added 22 points for Orlando, and combined with Howard to go 18 of 21 from the floor against a Cavs team lacking a legitimate inside game.

Howard added four assists, four blocks, four steals and the All-Star center went a shocking 10 of 12 from the free throw line. He's made only 58 percent of his foul shots this season. Following the game, Howard handed fans his sneakers and arm sleeves and tossed his jersey into the crowd.

"He's a great player," Cavs coach Byron Scott said. "His flaw is obviously from the line but he is athletic, strong, big and fast. He's dominant."

When Howard went out with 1:49 left in the third, the Magic were up by 22 and even Van Gundy seemed somewhat pleased. Howard slapped hands with Orlando's assistant coaches and it appeared his night was over early. But Bass picked up his fifth personal and Van Gundy had to put Howard back in.

The Cavs began knocking down shots and made it interesting in the fourth. They closed within nine on Christian Eyenga's 3-pointer. But Turkoglu ended the comeback bid with his 3 from deep in the left corner.

While Van Gundy was unhappy, Howard believes the Magic are in a good place.

"We're a team that's headed toward making a great playoff run," Howard said. "We have all the talent. We've got a great team. We have to bring it every night."

At halftime, the Magic led by 18 and were on cruise control. Howard, Bass and Ryan Anderson were a combined 17 of 20 with 42 points, 19 rebounds and eight dunks.

Scott wanted his big men to be physical with Howard, and on Orlando's first possession, Samardo Samuels locked up the Magic's All-Star center with a bear hug in the middle of the lane. Samuels got away with it as Howard was called for 3 seconds.

Howard then had his way.

He drew five personal fouls -- two on Ryan Hollins and one apiece on Samuels, Hickson and Luke Harongody -- in the first quarter alone as Cleveland was forced to hack away at him or get dunked on. Howard finished the period with 12 points and nine rebounds.

"Once he sits in the paint, it's just hard to move him out," Hickson said. "With his size and athleticism, it's tough."

Posted from the Associated Press on ESPN

--Sorry folk's I didn't watch the game tonight, so I figured you might want to read a real recap.

Jake

Preview- Cleveland vs. Sacramento (Conference's Worst Clash)

As of right now, both the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Sacramento Kings sit at the bottom of their respected conferences. The Cavaliers (12-53) sit at the bottom of the Eastern Conference and the Kings (16-49) sit at the bottom of the Western Conference.

The Kings are coming off a win, largely because of Marcus Thornton. Thornton who was acquired at the trade deadline from New Orleans. He has averaged 22.2 points a game for the Kings since coming over.

Thornton scored a career-high 42 points in their win against Golden State on Monday. The Kings will look to win back-to-back games for just the third time this season.

Marcus Thornton will look to continue his recent success in a Kings uniform against Cleveland. He has averaged 28.5 points in two career games against the Cavaliers.

That is not good news for Cleveland, which they are allowing over 50 percent from the field in their recent four-game slide, which has Coach Scott concerned.

"I'm really starting to question what type of heart we have as a basketball team," coach Byron Scott said. "I care about competing. I care about coming out every single night, going against an opponent that has a different color jersey on that's trying to kick your butt - and not to respond to that is shocking and scary to me".

The Cavaliers will look to get off the road slide, losing 27 of 28 on the road and giving up just about 110 points a game.

If Cleveland is to win this game they might have to do it without their best player since the trade deadline, Baron Davis. Davis left the team last week due to his grandmother passing away. It is unknown when he will return, however, I have seen he can return at anytime.

Look out for the Hickson vs. Cousins match-up. Both are young and very athletic. If Hickson can control Cousins and the boards Cleveland has a shot at winning a game on the road.

Cousins is averaging 19.9 points and 11 rebounds a game this month.

Tip-off is at 10pm in Sacramento.

Thunder 95, Cavs 75: The Sunday Afternoon Beatdown

When the Cavaliers play without Baron Davis, things just don't go very well.  There's no alley oops, no offensive firepower, and really nothing to get excited about.

This afternoon the Cavs were outmatched and outplayed for 4 quarters as Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder rolled to an easy win.

It was an ugly first half to say the least. It didn't get any better in the second half either.

The defense wasn't present, and the Thunder led 29-14 after one quarter.  In that quarter, the Thunder shot 52%.  Compare that to the Cavs, who shot 25%.  That's not going to get you wins. 

In the 2nd quarter, the trend continued.  Samardo Samuels was getting blocked and missing shots, Ramon Sessions turning the ball over repeatedly and the Thunder were still scoring at will.

As is a common theme, the Cavaliers did their best to play as little defense as possible.

If it weren't for a pair of Manny Harris 3 balls, there wouldn't have been a whole lot to cheer for.  Oh, and Anthony Parker's three at the halftime buzzer cut Oklahoma's lead to 50-38.

After a two-handed dunk by Samuels to open the 2nd half, the Cavs came out with a better mindset in the 2nd half.

And then Russell Westbrook happened.  Westbrook started scoring on seemingly every possession; he couldn't be stopped and the Cavaliers didn't even really try to. 

Russell exploded for 14 points on 7/9 shooting in the quarter.  All of those paints came in the paint, as he slashed to the rim scoring at will in almost a video-game fashion.

Also impressive was the defense of Serge Ibaka, who after 3 quarters had already recorded 7 blocks.

There was absolutely no rhythm to the offense, and the team really just didn't look like they even wanted to be out there.  The gap in developed talent between the Thunder and the Cavaliers is blatently obvious.

As Austin Carr said late in the game, "This was a slightly contested contest."

You know what he meant.

Sometimes, games just weren't meant to be won. The Cavaliers shot 34% from the field, missed 10 free throws, and went 5/14 from the 3 point line.  The Thunder scored 22 points off turnvovers.

The Cavaliers play Sacramento on Wednesday night in the first game of their road trip out west.   

Preview - Cavs vs. Bucks: Playing without the Baron

Thanks to the struggles of the two teams directly above them, the Milwaukee Bucks are amazingly just 2 1/2 games out of a playoff spot.

If they have any plans on getting there, they certainly can't afford to lose to teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Bucks look to win consecutive games for the first time since late January on Wednesday night when they host the Cavaliers, who will try to win their first back-to-back road contests since early November.

Hopes were high in Milwaukee after going 46-36 last season and taking Atlanta to seven games in the first round of the playoffs, but injuries and inconsistency have the Bucks (24-38) stuck in 10th place in the Eastern Conference.

But even for a team that played nearly six weeks without Brandon Jennings - and is 5-13 since he's returned - all isn't lost. The Bucks drew closer to eighth-place Indiana on Tuesday after throttling Washington 95-76 and watching the Pacers lose their fourth straight and sixth in seven games.

Milwaukee is just 1 1/2 games behind ninth-place Charlotte, which has lost five in a row.

"If you're trying to catch people, you've got to keep the pressure on them," Milwaukee coach Scott Skiles said.

It's no coincidence that one of the Bucks' most lopsided wins came with Andrew Bogut back in the lineup. The Australian center missed three games with a muscle strain in his left ribcage area, but had 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in his return.

Bogut, who said he felt good, wants Milwaukee to focus on itself and not the teams it's chasing.
"We don't want to get stuck in that game of checking the standings every day," he said. "We just need to go out and play and win the games we're supposed to."

Milwaukee hasn't won consecutive games since a three-game streak from Jan. 26-29, but it should feel good as its faces the East's worst team a night after routing the conference's second-worst club. Bogut had a game-high 23 points as the Bucks won 102-88 in Cleveland on Jan. 21.

He missed a Nov. 24 trip to Quicken Loans Arena, though, and Milwaukee shot just 37.8 percent in an 83-81 loss.

The Cavaliers (12-51) had lost 26 consecutive road games before winning at New York on Friday, but they struggled to find offense upon returning home. Cleveland shot 36.8 percent in a 96-81 loss to New Orleans on Sunday, then scored just 55 points over the final three quarters Tuesday while falling 95-85 to Golden State.

Forward J.J. Hickson dislocated his left pinky - the same finger Antawn Jamison fractured last month - in the fourth quarter, but the initially gruesome-looking injury turned out to be nothing serious as Hickson re-entered with a minute left.

"I saw his finger pointing east and west," coach Byron Scott said. "I didn't want to start crying in front of 17,000 people."

Cleveland's four wins in its last 10 games have all featured impressive performances from Hickson. The third-year forward has averaged 21.8 points, 13.0 rebounds and 2.8 blocks in the victories while shooting 50.7 percent.

In the six losses, he's averaged 13.2 points, blocked four total shots and shot 37.2 percent.

Hickson has a total of four points in 37 minutes against Milwaukee this season despite starting both games.

Cleveland will be missing Baron Davis, who has left the team following the death of his grandmother. Davis has averaged 18.0 points and 5.7 assists in three games off the bench since being acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers.

Preview - Cavs vs. Hornets: Byron's old team comes to town

In 2004, Byron Scott took over the New Orleans Hornets and initially managed very little success.

There are some parallels to that situation and the one Coach Scott is currently facing.

That season, the Hornets finished 18-64 and were one of the worst teams in the league.

Baron Davis was the point guard and they really struggled throughout that the entire season; Lee Nailon would lead the team in points scored at the end of the season.

That team was deprived of talent, but Scott took a bad situation and turned it around the next year.

The following season, 2005-06, the Hornets won 20 more games than the year before and finished 38-44.  You can probably chalk up some of those wins to drafting one of the best point guards in the league, Chris Paul.

Baron Davis and Coach Scott were not getting along so they shipped him out and handed the keys to Chris Paul.  While they didn't make the playoffs that year, the team was improving and Scott was seeing results in both the win column as well as the atttitude on the floor.

Just two years later the Hornets finished 56-26, and made a run through the playoffs eventually losing to the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Semi-finals.

That formula could prove to be very similar to the current plan with the Cleveland Cavaliers.  Have a tough season or two, draft solid talent and build the team for the future.

Stopping Chris Paul will be one of the keys to tonight's game.  The Cavs will look to build off an impressive and exciting win at Madison Square Garden vs. the Knicks.

The strong play of Samardo Samuels will also be key, as he made several crucial plays down the stretch in New York. His confidence is building each game and he's starting to get a feel of what he can do in this league.

Baron is excited to play for the first time in front of his new crowd, who will definitely embrace "the beard".  His late three pointers and exciting style of play will go over well in Cleveland; our fans are hoping he can provide for excitement at the point guard position.

Baron on twitter following the big win over Carmelo and company,

"Yep! Good win in the Garden. Can't wait to play in front of the home crowd at The Q!!! Go cavs!"   

Also, watch to see how Coach Scott continues to use Sessions and B-Diddy in the backcourt together. 

Tip-off tonight is at 6:30 at the Q. 

                         

Baron Davis makes successful debut against the Knicks: Cavs 119, Knicks 115

NEW YORK - Looks like payback is going to have to wait.

Carmelo Anthony vowed revenge after the New York Knicks lost at Cleveland on Feb. 25.

Maybe next time.

Baron Davis made his Cavaliers debut a memorable one by scoring 18 points, including a key 3-pointer with 10.6 seconds left, as the Cavs shocked the Knicks for the third time this season, 119-115, on Friday night in Madison Square Garden.

Amar'e Stoudemire had 41 points and Anthony added 29, but it wasn't enough for the Knicks, now 31-29. In fact, the Cavs (12-49) have 25 percent of their victories against the Knicks.

"It always feels good to win in the Garden," said Davis, who scored 12 of his points in the fourth quarter as the Cavs erased a 12-point deficit with 6:58 left. "As a kid, you dream of playing here on the big stage, the bright lights.

"They're one of the top teams in the league. Now that they're a powerhouse team, it's good for . . . these young guys to get that experience playing on that prime-time stage. This was a lot of rookies' first chance playing here. It was definitely a big confidence boost."

J.J. Hickson had 23 points and eight rebounds to lead the Cavs, and two rookies came up huge -- Luke Harangody and Samardo Samuels. Harangody wasn't even supposed to play because of a painful right hip pointer, but he finished with 18 points, including two free throws with 1.2 seconds left.

Samuels had 15 points and six rebounds and drew two charges from Anthony in the final 1:32, including the game-saver as Anthony drove for what would have been a game-tying basket with 1.8 seconds left.
Anthony also got a technical after whacking Samuels early in the third quarter.

"We were talking the whole game," said Samuels, the 2008 USA Today high school player of the year at St. Benedict's prep in nearby Newark, N.J. "It's basketball. Guys get under each other's skin. My teammates were telling me, 'Don't take it too far.' I was like, 'I'm good.' I know my limits.

"At the end of the day, I'm a big dude. Ain't too much going to hurt me out there. I was just confident and having fun."

Asked if he thought he was getting under Anthony's skin, Samuels smiled and said: "A little bit. He was like, 'Who is this guy? He's out here pestering us.' "

Anthony admitted after the game that, in fact, he did not know who Samuels was.

"I don't even know his name," Anthony said when asked about the technical. "Samar, Sam, I don't even know his name, the guy who took the charge. I just pushed him. He flopped a little bit. It is what it is. No hard feelings."

After Davis hit his 3-pointer, Stoudemire hit one with 7.5 seconds left to get New York back to 116-115.

Ramon Sessions made one of two free throws with seven seconds left before Anthony charged into Samuels.
"I guess it was an offensive foul," Anthony said after the game. "I didn't want to settle for a jump shot."

The Cavs didn't want to settle for just coming close. But after beating the Knicks twice at home, beating them in Madison Square Garden was something else all together.

"I don't think the guys let the bright lights get to them tonight, which is big," Cavs coach Byron Scott said.

"We were down 12 points with [seven] minutes left in the game and we never quit. Guys kept fighting. It says a lot about our character. We were down, we weren't playing our best, we were playing against a team that's been playing pretty well and we just kept fighting till we got the victory."

- Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer

Preview - Cavs vs. Knicks: The Baron Davis show begins

Baron Davis will be in a Cavaliers uniform for the first time tonight. 

He will make his debut at Madison Square Garden, vs. the new-look Knicks.

Baron will come off the bench tonight, but could very easily become a starter for this team.  "I'm excited,'' he said. "First game for a new team. I'm excited. I think the players are excited. It will be good for us all to get out there, put our best foot forward and just start working to be a better team, working on our chemistry, working to get better.''

The only concern is his nagging knee injury, which has bothered him all season long.

The Cavaliers beat the Knicks just one week ago, in Carmelo Anthony's second game as a Knick. 

More recently New York stunned the Miami Heat, and are playing solid basketball. 

There is a sense of excitement about Baron's debut; he knows how to get his teammates involved while also scoring the basketball.

Baron and Coach Scott have vowed their past differences aren't a concern, as Baron has matured and grown to respect his former coach.

Cleveland will be without Antawn Jamison, who broke his pinky finger and is expected to miss 5-7 weeks (which might as well be the rest of the season). 

Riddled with major injuries all season, the Cavaliers will also be without Daniel Gibson, who has a left quad injury.  We just can't seem to get all of our pieces healthy at the same time.

Defending Carmelo and Amare are the keys to tonight's game.  The Knicks don't exactly have a defensive mindset, so scoring shouldn't be a problem.

It would be nice to drop New York back to reality again, especially during the debut of a new Cavalier.

Baron Davis is going to make a difference, and he's ready to embrace the Wine and Gold. 

Preview: Cavs vs. Spurs

The Cavaliers and the San Antionio Spurs will pla each other tonight in Cleveland in which each team will look to win without a key player to their rosters.

San Antiono's Tony Parker strained his left calf in Sunday's win against the Memphis Grizzles, is expected to miss 2-4 weeks.

On the other side, Cleveland's leading scorer at 18.0 points a game will most likely miss the rest of the season. Antawn Jamison broke is left pinky finger in the lose against the 76ers.

San Antonio will look to avoid losing consecutive games for just the second time this season. The last time they lost consecutive games was back in January when they lost to Boston and New York.

The Spurs immediately felt the impact of missing Tony Parker in their starting lineup. They had 21 turnovers against the Grizzles and the defense was awful, something the Cavaliers should take notice.

For the Cavaleirs, their road without their starting forward Antawn Jamison starts tonight. The injury will allow younger guys to log more minutes including Samardo Samuels.

Samuels was named the starting center yesterday, allowing JJ Hickson to move over to power forward.

Coach Scott wants JJ Hickson to continue his recent succes at his natural positon and that being the power foward spot. Jamison's injury will also allow younger players to step-up. Newly aquired, Luke Harangody will be the only player available to play tonight of the three that were traded to Cleveland.

Baron Davis is still nursing a Knee injury and Semih Erdan will be out for another week will his own injury. However, Luke Harangody will look to improve his game and show his potential with more of an opportunity to play with Cleveland.

Tip-off is at 7:00pm at Quicken Loans Arena.

Preview - Cavs. vs. 76ers

Today at 5 p.m the Cavs host the Philadelphia 76ers.

Everyone wants to know if the newest members of our franchise will be in uniform, but it's still unknown at this point.

Baron Davis, Luke Harangody, and Semih Erden all missed practice while taking physicals and getting settled in.

In the last meeting with the 76ers, the Cavaliers were blown out 117-97. 

Earlier in the season however, the Cavs won two contests against Philadelphia, in games where the entire team looked impressive.

Ramon Sessions and Antawn Jamison will look to continue their strong play as of late.

Speaking of Sessions, Coach Scott declared that it's not out of the question for both Sessions and the newly acquired Baron Davis to start in the backcourt together.  That would be a tough offensive tandem to deal with.

Whether or not Baron will see any playing time tonight is highly questionable, as he has yet to learn any of the plays or even attend a single practice with his new team.

Slowing down Andre Igoudala will be the first defensive priority. 

Also important will be containing Thaddeus young, who scored 26 points on 92% percent shooting in the last meeting vs. the Cavaliers.

Hickson must rebound effectively for us to win this game, and we need production out of all our players. 

We very well could be short-handed if Byron decides to have the new guys sit and watch this one.

In our last 4 games, the Cavs are 3-1.  Those 3 wins came against the Lakers, Knicks, and Clippers, all solid basketball teams right now. 

Will we finally be able to say the Cavaliers are on a winning streak?

Don Delaney and other news

The Cavaliers are coming off one of their best wins of the season. A 104-99 win against the defending champion, Los Angeles Lakers.

The win sent the Cavaliers into the All-Star break feeling like the world was lifted off their shoulders and handed them great momentum.

They went 2-1 on the final week before the break which had the locker room feeling great.

However, some of that great feeling went away with the news of former Cleveland Cavalier coach and general manager, Don Delaney died at the age of 75.

Delaney died at Manor Care in Mayfield Heights with his family surrounding him. Delaney had encountered many health problems in the past years, which included a serious stroke.

Don Delaney was asked to fill the role of the head coaching position for the Cavaliers under former owner, Ted Stepien.

Cleveland went 66-180 under Stepien, but was known for his extreme game-entertainment and player/front offices decisions.

Don Delaney went 7-19 in his time being a replacement coach for Cleveland. He was soon replaced by former assistant coach, Bob Kloppenburg. Delaney returned to the front offices and was blamed for the bad deals.

Don Delaney was born in Euclid on January 3rd, 1936.

Other News: Byron Scott is not all that impressed with the NBA All-Star weekend. "Maybe the average fan, yeah. But when you're around it every day, that really doesn't get me excited."Scott will however, watch his player, Boobie Gibson compete in the three-point shootout. But the rest of the weekend you can forget it. "The dunk contest? Nah. I think the biggest part of All-Star Weekend used to be the dunk contest. I think it's lost its luster. The 3-point contest is still, to me, pretty cool. The three-on-three stuff? You've got one real old guy and a girl -- no offense -- and a current player. I'm not interested in that.

The Cavaliers held the Lakers to .425 percent shooting from the field in their 104-99 upset. Tje Cavaliers were the second-worst defensive team that allowed .481 percent shooting to opponents.

Reminder: Watch Daniel "Boobie" Gibson compete in the three-point shootout on Saturday against some of the best three-point shooters in the NBA. The fun starts at 8:00pm on TNT.

The Aftermath of the Epic Win: post All-Star Break Implications

The Cavaliers knocked the defending World Champs into further disarray last night, in a game that brought momentary appeasement to a fanbase in desperate need of a meaningful victory.

Cleveland is 2-1 in its last 3 games.  It feels great to say that.  In the month of February, Cavs are 2-0 against teams from Los Angeles.

Of course, the headlines on ESPN are all too easily predictable:  What is wrong with the Lakers?  Losing to Orlando is one thing, but the Cavs? 

Really ESPN?  How about giving us some credit when it's clear we outplayed our opponent?  Why does it always have to be about the other team? 

The Lakers didn't come to play; the Cavs were hungry for a big win heading into the All-Star break.  In front of 20,000+ roaring fans at Quicken Loans Arena, the Cavs played maybe their most complete game of the season

Ramon Sessions led all players with 32 points, 8 assists, and 3 steals off the bench.  Mo Williams aggravated his injured ankle, and did not return after 3 minutes of action.

Sessions has been playing excellent as of late.  Earlier in the season, he often forgot about his teammates and drove every chance he got.  Now, he seems to be finding that invaluable skill of knowing when to get others involved. 

Ramon has significantly reduced the amount of careless turnovers, and is making his presence felt on the court.  In the first half he finished with 16 points, partly because he got to the free throw line 7 times and made them all count. 

Sessions is the driving force behind the Cavaliers right now.  He even made his first 3 pointer of the season. 

If the Cavs weren't in last place, one could make a strong case for Ramon to be named 6th man of the year.

Christian Eyenga also came to play last night; Number 8 has dramatically improved his offensive game and court awareness throughout the 1st half of the season.

He also managed to school Kobe Bryant, and dunk in the face of Pau Gasol all in one play.  Speaking of Gasol, is there ever a time where he doesn't make an overdramatic yell for a foul as he bricks another lay-up?

Eyenga has the potential to be an impact player for the Cavs.  His defensive intensity alone warrants the playing time he's been receiving.

For all the losses we incurred during the 1st half of the season, its undeniable that the win over the Lakers will help this team's confidence going forward. 

We need to play with the same defensive effort we showed last night, and we could be competitive night-in and night-out.  The Cavaliers haven't had a problem scoring the basketball this season, we're averaging right around 100 points a night.  The problem is consistent defense. 

Granted, we don't have the pieces in the frontcourt to stop the likes of Dwight Howard and pretty much any other legitimate center in the league right now.  The injury to Anderon Varejao for the season hurt this team in a multitude of ways, including but not limited to: defending in the post, rebounding, and energy. 

Jamison attempting to defend Gasol just isn't going to work out well most nights. 

That being said, Jamison did play a great game defensively and the Cavs worked as a team to out-will the Lakers for our 10th victory of the season.

Improving throughout the rest of the season is the main goal for Coach Byron Scott; we have to change the atmosphere of losing and develop our players to bring A+ effort on a nightly basis.

This victory was a step in the right direction.  Hopefully this will propel the Cavs to a strong finish for the rest of the season. 

Cleveland 104, Lakers 99: (Shocking the NBA)

Back on January 11th, the Cavaliers traveled to Los Angeles and lost by an embarrassing 55 points.

Just a month later, the Cavaliers shocked the NBA and beat the two-time defending champion, Los Angeles Lakers 104-99. The Cavaliers (10-46) handed the Lakers (38-19) their third straight defeat in which was the last game of the "Grammy Road Trip" for Los Angeles.

It was a turn around of 60 points for the Cavaliers from the last time these two teams met up just a month ago.

The Cavaliers not only got their revenge but they bounced back from an embarrassing lost to the Washington Wizards last Sunday. The Cavaliers played one of their most complete games this season.

The team played with a strong sense of passion right from the start of the game. They outscored the Lakers 29-21 in the first quarter and was up as many as 12 points in the 1st half.

Ramon Sessions played his best game as a Cavalier this season. He scored a season high and game high, 32 points. He also dished out eight assists as well. Sessions came off the bench behind Mo Williams, as Mo played the first three minutes of the game and did not return.

Mo Williams aggravated his ankle again and Byron Scott decided to let him rest and give him the extra time to give him a full recovery.

As for Ramon, he made his presence felt as soon as he got in the game. He pushed the tempo and got in the paint whenever he wanted. He scored 14 first quarter points and never looked back.

It was the kind of night that felt like nothing could go wrong for the Cavaliers. In the second quarter, with the shot clock winding down, Antawn Jamison shot a ball from the "C" on the Cavaliers logo and make it. Jamison finished with an impressive 19 points and 10 rebounds.

Cleveland improved effort from the last meeting showed at the end of the first half. They scored 51 first-half points compared to 57 points for the entire game in January against the Lakers.

Pau Gasol finished with a monster effort, 30 points and 20 rebounds, but it wasn't enough. The Cavaliers pushed the lead to 14 points in the second half .

Cleveland had an answer for everything the Lakers threw at them. Christian Eyenga made the highlight of the night. He posterized Gasol for a big throw down and blew the roof off the building.

Eyenga finished with a strong game. He scored 10 points on 5-7 shooting. However, he wasn't the only Cavalier with a timely bucket.

JJ Hickson also had a a strong game. He scored a respectful 13 points and grabbing 15 rebounds. Hickson held up his own against the Lakers 7-footers. When the Lakers made a late-run and got it withing four in the final minutes of the game. Hickson had a momentum changing put-back slam.

Kobe Bryant, who is recovering from flu-like symptoms, didn't have much of an impact in the game. Bryant finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds but still didn't seem to be himself, especially with the game on the line.

The Lakers had 19 turnovers in the game and that lead Phil Jackson enraged. He had to call several timeouts and that lead to screaming at his players in disgust. The Lakers played sloppy all night long and it showed. In the second quarter, Gasol had the ball in his hands and threw a pass to the corner, only to find teammate Shannon Brown sitting on the bench.

The Cavaliers ended a poor first half of basketball with arguably their best win of the season.

The Cavaliers will head into the All-Star break with a lot of momentum and will look to carry that momentum into the second half of the season.

Key comment: It is kind of ironic that when the Cavaliers lost to the Lakers in January, they called the lose "rock bottom" and "embarrassing". Yet a month later, the Lakers might have just lost the worst game of the Pau Gasol era or perhaps Phil Jackson's worst lose as a Laker. So do I dare say that this lost, just a month later when it was "rock bottom" for the Cavaliers would be "rock bottom" for the two-time defending champions?

Cleveland 100, Washington 115: (Breaking another streak)

Just a couple of days after the Cavaliers snapped their 26-game losing streak against the Los Angeles Clippers, Cleveland helped snap another losing streak.

The Cavaliers fell to the Washington Wizards 115-100 and ended the Wizards 0-25 mark on the road this season. This gave Washinton their first road win of the season and snapped the longest losing streak on the road for any team.

Washington was four losses shy of an NBA record for consecutive road loses set by Dallas in the 1992-1993 season at 29-straight.

For the Cavaliers, they never were able to recover after a hot start by the Wizards. Washington started the game 9 of 11 from the field and Cleveland trailed by 12 points after the first quarter.

Nick Young torched the Cavaliers with 31 points, and the top overall pick from last years draft, John Wall played a solid game scoring 19 points and had 14 dimes to help the Wizards snap the streak.

The Cavaliers never had a chance after the first quarter, they trailed by as many as 22 in the first half and trailed by 25 points in the third quarter.

Antawn Jamison, facing his former team, finished with 21 points and 7 rebounds. JJ Hickson also helped out with 16 points and 13 rebounds as well.

The Cavaliers did make it a game towards the end. After Jamario Moon's three ball, the Cavaliers got within 11 points but a couple of easy baskets by Andray Blatche put the game out of reach.

The Cavaliers failed to win back-to-back games for just the second time this season.

Cleveland entered the game as healthy as they have been for a while. With Mo Willams back in the starting role and Leon Powe being active the Cavaliers started to look full again (minus Andy V).

However, the Cavaliers may have started the game healthy but didn't leave that way.

Daniel "Boobie" Gibson left the game with a strained quadriceps in the second quarter and did not return.

This is a blow because Boobie is one of Cleveland's best players and outside shooters.

Ramon Sessions, who returned to the bench because of the return of Mo Williams had 14 points and 6 assists in just over 24 minutes of action. While Mo Williams scored 10 points and had 7 turnovers.

After the game, Byron Scott showed some frustration calling the game "Ridiculous" and "Sleepwalking through the start of the game".

The Cavaliers host the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday and then play Houston and New York in trying to start a winning streak, or try to avoid another losing streak.

Cleveland 93, Detroit 104: (.......26 and counting)

So much for winning time.

Before the 7:00 tip-off between the Detroit Pistons (20-33) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (8-45) most of the nation saw Cleveland finally snapping the streak.

Even Michael Wilbon on PTI (Pardon the interruption) predicted the Cavaliers to break the 25-game losing streak. The 25-game losing streak was the longest in NBA history.

However, with a 93-104 lost to the Piston tonight, the Cavaliers not only own the longest losing streak in NBA history, but they tied a record for consecutive losses by ANY pro team.

Cleveland's losing streak reached 26, matching the 1976-77 Tampa Bay Buccaneers' record for consecutive losses in any season.

The Cavs (8-45) remain winless since Dec. 18 and have now dropped 36 of 37. Their next chance to end the unthinkable streak will be on Friday against Blake Griffin and the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Cavaliers were slow right out of the gate, being outscored 27-16 in the 1st quarter. It was all catch-up from there.

Ramon Sessions continued his strong play, scoring 20 points and dishing out a game high, 12 assists. He also added six rebounds and five steals on the defensive side of the ball.

The Cavaliers were down 17 points in the game. However, The Cavaliers made a final push in the last minute of the game cutting the lead to three. The Cavaliers got in within six points but the comeback feel short again.

Antawn Jamison added yet another strong performance in this nightmare, scoring 22 points and adding seven rebounds as well in 43 minutes.

JJ Hickson also took advantage of a weak front-line of the Pistons. He scored 18 points and grabbed a game high boards.

Forget the longest losing streak in NBA history, the Cavaliers are aiming for the longest losing streak in any pro sports.

Recently announced three-point contestant, Daniel "Boobie" Gibson, scored 12 points going 4-7 from 3-point land.

The Cavaliers younger players did not have much of an impact tonight, Christian Eyenga, Manny Harris and Samardo Samuels combined for just over 31 minutes of action. Eyenga scored eight points shooting 4-9 from the field.

Manny Harris scored zero points and only played five minutes of action. Coach Byron Scott is staying with the hot hands as of late, Ramon Sessions and Antawn Jamison as been the Cavaliers best players and it shows.

The Cavaliers will try to avoid the longest losing streak of any pro team in history on Friday when the Clippers come to town.

Preview - Cavs vs. Pistons: Winning time?

The streak will end tonight.  That's all there is to it.  No more excuses, no more moral victories.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have been playing well enough to win a game, and the Pistons are very beatable right now. 

With 8 straight home games, it's time to turn this thing around.

Detroit has been experiencing some inner turmoil with players not agreeing with the coach, and they've been in trade talks concerning Tayshaun Prince and Richard Hamilton.

The strong play of our rookies, along with Ramon Sessions' continued control of this offense is keeping us in games; we're playing competitive basketball with a roster that clearly needs some upgrades.

J.J. Hickson will look to build on his 26 point, 12 rebound effort vs. Dallas. 

If Hickson can put together that type of game vs. Tyson Chandler, chances are he will take advantage of Detroit's much smaller frontcourt. 

Charlie Villanueva doesn't have the defensive skillset to match up with J.J.'s athleticism.  Hopefully #21 comes out and takes advantage of that.

Eyenga had a strong 1st half in Texas scoring 13 of his 15 points, and seems to be gaining confidence in a growing role with this team. 

Christian has always been able to drive and finish at the rim.  If he can continue to improve his jumpshot, the sky is the limit.  He seems to have a good understanding of how to play defensively. 

Antawn Jamison will look to get back to the form he was in earlier in the season, where he was stroking 3 balls and looking for his shot. 

We need our veterans to step their game up if we're going to start winning some games.

Anthony Parker has been shooting the basketball well since he came back from back injury.  He's an important part of our offense and needs to play well in order for the Cavaliers to have a chance to win.

Byron Scott is ready for this team to get over the hump, and he's liked the effort we've been putting forward in the last 4 games.

All that being said, being in games in the 4th quarter doesn't matter if you don't win. 

In 9 days, it will have have been two months since the last time the Cavaliers won a game.

Mavericks 99, Cavs 96: The comeback that wasn't

No one gave us a shot against one of the NBA's hottest teams, the Dallas Mavericks.

Last night, the Cavs gave Dallas all they could handle in a game that came down to the wire.

The losing streak is now officially cemented in the NBA record books at 25 consecutive games.

Who cares?  As Cavs radio legend Scott Zurilla said on Saturday's post-game show, try to think about this record in the context of the future.

In one or two years when the Cavaliers are contending for the playoffs, will you say, "Wow we had such a terrible season in 2011?"  No, you won't. 

You'll be more concerned with how well the Cavs are playing and the multiple winning streaks we'll be on.

So as far as I'm concerned, this record really isn't that big of a deal.  No one could have predicted the departure of LeBron in addition to key injuries.  It's not too big of a surprise we're not contending right now.

Back to the game.  Solid performances by J.J. Hickson, Ramon Sessions and Christian Eyenga were the reason we had a chance.

Hickson really stepped up his game last night.  He led the Cavaliers with 26 points on 12/18 shooting.  That kind of performance going up against Tyson Chandler and the rest of the talented Mavericks roster is downright impressive. 

J.J. also snatched 12 rebounds; he's really developing an all-around game that was missing earlier in his career.  Add a legitimate center to this roster, a few other pieces, and teams are going to have their hands full with the Cavs frontcourt.

Ramon Sessions is leading the Cavaliers very effectively during the absence of Mo Williams.  Sessions has talked about how he's still learning when to drive and when to find his teammates.  Sometimes you want to yell at him for walking down the court and immediately driving to take a shot, but more times than not, he finishes at the rim. 

Ramon poured in 19 points on 6/12 shooting to go along with 13 assists.  That's the kind of performance we're getting used to from him.

Christian Eyenga continues to impress; he scored 15 points in 27 minutes on the floor.  Gotta love the progress he's making and experience he's gaining during his first season in the NBA.

The defense was there as well; Cleveland held an opponent to under 100 points for just the second time in 22 games.  (Remember we held Chicago to 92 not too long ago). If the Cavs can continue to match this defensive effort, the wins will come. 

The problem for this team has never been scoring, we've always found a way to put up close to 100.  The defense is where we get killed, as teams shoot a high percentage against us and score in the paint at will.

Antawn Jamison scored 18 points, but made only 8 of the 23 shots he attempted.  The one 3 pointer he made came late when we needed it, but making 1 out of 6 from deep is not going to help this team win on a nightly basis. 

He seems to have lost that smooth 3 point stroke we were accustomed to seeing earlier this season.

This game was fun to watch and you could see the intensity between the teams on the floor.  It probably started with Ryan Hollins' hard foul on Tyson Chandler.  Fast-forward to the 4th quarter where Dirk Nowitzki essentially threw a wild punch at Sessions.  Dirk tried to talk to Sessions afterwards but you could tell there wasn't a whole lot of love between the two.

Austin Carr pointed out that the NBA should take a look at that play and possibly levy some sort of punishment on Nowitzki.  Apparently the referees didn't see it, because he didn't get a technical and you could see the disdain on the faces of Byron Scott and the rest of the Cavaliers.

The Cavs are coming to play every night as of late, which is more than can be said earlier in the losing streak.  During the last 4 games, the Cavs have either tied or had the lead in the 4th quarter.

As Byron Scott often says, there's no such thing as a moral victory.  However, you have to admit this was a pretty impressive comeback after being down 10 at half.  We're not rolling over when things get tough; this team is now fighting back and you can tell they're making progress.

Jamario Moon seems to have replaced Manny Harris in the rotation, who only played 5 minutes last night.  Moon has had to swallow his pride and ride the bench for most of the season, which must have been tough seeing as he won the starting SF position out of training camp.

Unfortunately for Jamario, he made a critical error at the end of the game.

With 10 seconds to go, the Cavaliers trailed 99-96.  Anthony Parker dribbled down the court and missed his 3 point attempt, but the rebound was kicked out to Moon.  With 1.2 seconds or so on the clock, he passed on a game-tying shot and instead swung it over to Antawn. 

The buzzer went off before Antawn even had a chance to shoot it.  Jamario absolutely should have taken that shot, clearly he thought there was more time on the clock. 

Bryon assessed the situation. 

"J-Moon just really wasn't aware," Scott said. "That's the bottom line. Because he had really a pretty good look."

This game was hard to swallow, because the Cavs had a chance to beat one of the best teams in the NBA and end this awful losing streak.  It just wasn't meant to be. 

That being said, this team is getting closer to that elusive win.  I hope it happens when we play the Pistons on Wednesday.  The way we're playing, we deserve to win a game.

Grizzlies win fifth straight while Cavaliers tie NBA futility record

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The Cleveland Cavaliers are haunted again by losing No. 23.

The Cavaliers matched the longest single-season losing streak in NBA history, dropping their 23rd straight game with a 112-105 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night.

The Cavs tied the 1995-96 Grizzlies, then in Vancouver, and the 1997-98 Denver Nuggets for longest skid in one season, and can equal their own overall mark for futility with a loss in Saturday night's game at home against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Cleveland lost 24 straight games spanning the 1981-82 and 1982-83 seasons.

"Watching the guys in the locker room, the one thing I can say is guys are very disappointed in the way we finished the game," Cleveland coach Byron Scott said. "And maybe that's a good thing."

One season after losing LeBron James, who led the Cavs to the league's best record the last two seasons while wearing No. 23, Cleveland (8-42) clinched a losing record.

"Everybody was really quiet with their heads down," said center J.J. Hickson, who matched his career best with 31 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. "We're not playing to lose. We're not going out there trying to lose. I think we did a good job of playing hard."

Ramon Sessions finished with 20 points and Antawn Jamison scored 19 for Cleveland, which hasn't won since a Dec. 18 overtime victory over the New York Knicks.

Zach Randolph had 29 points and 13 rebounds, and Rudy Gay added 26 points and 11 boards as Memphis won its season-best fifth straight.

Memphis also moved into the Western Conference playoff picture, taking over the eighth spot by a half-game after its victory and Portland's 100-87 loss to Indiana.

Mike Conley added 21 points and eight assists for Memphis, while Sam Young finished with 19 points, matching his season best.

"I think we are at the point where we believe that we can win," Randolph said. "We can compete with anybody. We just have to continue to build trust and help each other on defense, and try to execute the game plan."

The Cavaliers were without guard Daniel Gibson, who left the team earlier in the day and returned to Cleveland for personal reasons. Add to that Mo Williams, the team's second-leading scorer, and Anderson Varejao are out with injuries, and Cleveland was at a personnel disadvantage.

The 6-foot-9 Hickson started at center, and rookie Christian Eyenga, who was in the D-League a little over a month ago, was at forward.

Cleveland gave Memphis all it could handle through the first three quarters, but the Grizzlies put together 13 straight points to open the fourth en route to their eighth win in nine games.

Despite the Grizzlies hitting their first 10 shots of the game, Cleveland took advantage of Memphis' subsequent lackadaisical approach in the first half and led by 10 before carrying a 59-52 lead into the break. Hickson already had 21 points, including 14 in the second quarter.

The Cavs led much of the third, and Jamison's inside basket with a second left in the period gave Cleveland an 84-83 lead heading into the fourth.

"We were in a desperate situation," Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins said. "The way we were turning the ball over in the first half, it could have very easily gotten away from us."

But the Memphis rally to open the fourth sent Cleveland to a familiar finish.

"They say you can't win 'em all, but in the same light, you can't lose 'em all either," Hickson said. "So, if we stay [focused], I think we can get a couple of wins before the season's over."

This story from the AP

Preview - Cavs vs. Memphis: To tie the record?

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Guard Daniel Gibson is still listed as questionable for the Cavaliers tonight against Memphis, but coach Byron Scott hopes he'll be able to play.

Gibson has missed the last two games with a bruised left quad. He originally suffered the injury at New Jersey on Jan. 24 and aggravated it at Boston the next night and again on Sunday at Orlando.

"We'll see where he is tonight,'' Scott said after the team's morning shootaround at Fed Ex Forum. "He's going to get more treatment, and hopefully by tonight, he'll go from questionable to being able to play.
"Right now he's a game-time decision.

The Cavs can use as much help as they can get. They have lost 22 straight games, and a loss tonight would tie the league record for consecutive losses in a single season.

They have a chance to tie the league record for consecutive losses, which they already own, in Saturday's home game against Portland and set the new mark on Monday at Dallas.

They also have lost 24 straight games on the road.

Pacers 117, Cavs 112: Cavaliers now one loss away from tying NBA record

CLEVELAND -- So close. So tantalizingly close.

That's about as good as the Cleveland Cavaliers can hope for these days.

Their long losing streak is almost history.

Cleveland's slide reached 22 straight -- one shy of the NBA's single-season record -- as Danny Granger scored 23 points and Darren Collison added 22 to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 117-112 win over the Cavs, still winless in 2011 and losers of 32 of 33.

"We're disappointed. It's frustrating," forward Anthony Parker said. "We had opportunities to win and we came up short. We've got to find a way to get it done."

Unless they can prevail on Friday in Memphis, the Cavs (8-41) will match the league's all-time mark for consecutive futility, a record shared by the 1995-96 expansion Vancouver Grizzlies and 1997-98 Denver Nuggets who each dropped 23 in a row.

Cavs coach Byron Scott played on that dreadful Vancouver team. He's now coaching one that could soon be equally as pathetic.

"It hurts," Scott said. "When you lose games it hurts, especially when you give yourself an opportunity to win, it hurts that much more. We had an opportunity."

Actually, several of them.

The Cavs had chances to pull out their first win since beating the New York Knicks in overtime on Dec. 18, but Parker missed a runner in the lane with 18.8 seconds left, J.J. Hickson fumbled away a pass underneath
and Granger iced it by making four free throws in the final 17 seconds.

Ramon Sessions scored 25 points and Antawn Jamison had 21 for Cleveland, falling further than it ever imagined in its first season without superstar LeBron James.

The Cavs fought until the end, something they rarely did while going 0-for-January. This was better, much better, but still not good enough for a team missing several key players because of injuries.

Just like comic Bill Murray's character in the movie, "Groundhog Day," it was more of the same on Groundhog Day for the Cavs.

"That one took a lot out of us," said Sessions, who added nine assists and went 13 of 14 from the line. "We felt like we played well. We weren't able to close them out."

With the score tied 110-all, Collison drained a key 3-pointer from the left side with 1:08 to play, forcing the Cavs to call a timeout.  Christian Eyenga then hit a tough jumper to pull Cleveland within one, and when Parker grabbed a miss by Granger, the Cavs seemed to be in business.

But Parker's short shot -- he thought there was contact -- in the lane rimmed out, and Granger was fouled. He made both free throws to give the Pacers a 115-112 lead. On Cleveland's next possession, Sessions drove in the paint and drew two defenders before dumping the ball underneath to Hickson, who fumbled it and the Cavs' chance slipped away.

"Tough pass," Hickson said. "Should've caught it."

When the horn sounded, Scott dropped his head and a small but boisterous Cleveland crowd headed toward the exits and another cold ride home.

The Pacers improved to 4-0 this season over the Cavs, and Indiana won its second straight under interim coach Frank Vogel, who replaced the fired Jim O'Brien last week.

Before the game, Vogel joked about not being well known outside the Pacers' locker room. He went to lunch on Wednesday with center Roy Hibbert and wasn't recognized.

"People don't know who I am," Vogel cracked. "I'm not surprised. A number of folks came up and asked for Roy's autograph. I may as well have been the ballboy. That's fine with me."

Vogel complimented the Cavs for hanging tough despite missing starters Anderson Varejao, Mo Williams and Daniel Gibson.

"Give all the credit in the world to that team," Vogel said. "They're in a tough situation with everything, with LeBron and what they're going through. You feel for their guys. They deserve to get back on the winning
track. I'm very glad it wasn't tonight."

Cleveland has been beyond bad of late. Before taking the lead in the third quarter on Sessions' three-point play with 1:15 left, the Cavs had gone more than 217 playing minutes without holding a lead.

The Cavs' struggles and the remnants of the powerful Midwest blizzard combined to keep people away from Quicken Loans Arena in droves.

The 20,000-seat building was only about one-third filled and it didn't take long for those in attendance to lose interest. The Cavs missed their first 10 shots and fell behind 14-2 before finally making their first field goal.

But even when Cleveland does something right these days, it seems to backfire.

Cavs swingmag Alonzo Gee delivered a powerful, two-handed dunk that nearly sent some of his teammates on Cleveland's bench onto the floor. But Gee was slapped with a technical for hanging on the rim, and the Pacers responded by going on a 15-3 run to open a 17-point lead.

The Cavs didn't cave, though.

Manny Harris made a 3-pointer with 3.9 seconds left in the quarter to cap an 18-6 run that pulled Cleveland within 59-54 at halftime. They were within two to start the fourth, and for a while, it seemed as if it would finally be the Cavaliers' night.

They're still waiting for it.

Game notes
With heavy snow in the forecast, the Pacers flew directly to Cleveland from Toronto after their game on Monday night. ... A die-hard Pittsburgh Steelers fan since he was a kid, Scott hasn't decided whether he'll attend the Super Bowl on Sunday in Dallas. The Cavs play the Mavericks on Monday, but Scott isn't sure he wants to deal with the large crowd or being recognized by some Celtics fan. "I just don't like being around one hundred and some thousand people," he said. ... Cavs G Mo Williams has begun on-court activities as he rehabs from a hip injury that has sidelined him for two weeks.

This story from the AP